4 Ways Reparations Can Address Racial Inequality in Education

Unequal schools are one of many manifestations of systemic racism. Changing the way schools are financed and homeowners are taxed can be a vehicle for reparations.

Why you can trust us

By Preston Green III &
Bruce Baker

4 MIN READ

Sep 28, 2021

White public schools have than Black public schools. These funding disparities go back to the so-called 鈥溾€� era鈥攚hich was enshrined into the nation鈥檚 laws by the Supreme Court鈥檚 1896 decision in .

The disparities have persisted even after , the landmark 1954 Supreme Court decision that ordered the desegregation of America鈥檚 public schools.

Because Black schools get less funding even though than their White counterparts, we think 鈥攁nd they can be paid by reforming the ways Black homeowners are taxed and schools in Black communities are funded.

We make this argument as and scholars who have studied racial inequality in education for decades. We propose a four-part reparations plan to address racial inequalities in education. The plan deals with: 1) local property taxes, 2) school revenues, 3) targeting funding to close gaps in student outcomes, and 4) federal monitoring.

1. Tax rebates to Black homeowners

A big reason for racial funding disparities is housing segregation. This separation has led to vast and that families have been able to accumulate. This in turn through property taxes for local public schools.

In Connecticut, for example, Black-owned homes are valued on average at about . Even for homes in the same metro areas within Connecticut with the same number of bedrooms, the .

Since Black home values overall are lower, higher tax rates are to generate more local tax revenue. This comes in the form of what we refer to as a 鈥淏lack Tax.鈥� In Connecticut, the average Black homeowner pays a Black Tax of just over 0.6% in higher property taxes. On a $250,000 home, that . But even with higher tax rates, Black communities do not raise the same amount of property tax revenue to fund public schools as White communities in the same state or metropolitan area. Tax rates required to fully close these gaps would simply be too high. In a 2021 article, we documented , including Maryland and Virginia.

We recommend direct rebates to Black homeowners in previously redlined or otherwise segregated communities in the amount calculated to cover the Black Tax. For example, the Black Tax in Bridgeport, Connecticut, is just over 0.5%. For a home valued at $340,000, the annual rebate amount would be . These rebates would put money in the hands of Black homeowners, who would then have the option to either spend more on their local public schools or increase their personal savings. Either way, we believe they are owed this compensation, including possible cumulative compensation for past overpayment.

2. Closing racial gaps in school district revenues

State general aid programs, which are intended to make sure all schools get equitable funding, .

In Connecticut, the average state general aid per Black child is more than the average state general aid per White child. This is because districts serving Black children tend to have less of their own taxable wealth. That is, districts serving more Black children do receive more state general aid than districts serving more White children, but not enough to close the gap in local revenue raised. We calculated that the remaining gap is . Other state aid to school districts in Black communities could close this gap.

3. Change how race factors into school aid formulas

for improving schools and 鈥撵谤辞尘&苍产蝉辫;. School finance reforms have . Research is in this regard. Equitable and adequate financing of public school systems is a necessary condition for ensuring children equal opportunity to succeed.

State school finance formulas 鈥攐r cost adjustments鈥攆or things like how many children live in poverty or how many children have disabilities. The idea is that such children require more money to educate. The and show that, because of governmental policies that created that accompanies it, school and district racial composition is an important factor to include in state school finance formulas. But now.

4. Eliminate racism in school finance formulas

Some state aid programs racial disparities, and worse, some are built on the systemic .

Kansas, like many states, imposes strict , on revenue that can be raised locally to maintain equity. But a added to their school funding formula raised the cap for 16 districts with higher average housing values, that those districts needed to pay teachers more to live in their districts. But this specific provision almost uniformly applied to predominantly White districts where most neighborhoods had .

The provision excluded neighboring districts where homes had been devalued by redlining because they were inhabited by Black residents. These neighboring districts also now use their .

We recommend federal audits of state school finance systems to identify features of those systems that exacerbate racial disparities and may in fact be built on systemic racial discrimination. Because states have thus far been to lead these initiatives themselves, we believe they need .

The funding adjustment on high-priced houses in Kansas provides one example, but , including state aid programs designed to in affluent suburban communities.

This article was originally published by聽. It has been republished here with permission.

Preston Green III is the John and Maria Neag Professor of Urban at the University of Connecticut where he is also a professor of educational leadership and law.聽At the University of Connecticut, Dr. Green helped develop the UCAPP Law Program, which enables participants to obtain a law degree and school administrator certification at the same time. Dr. Green has written five books and numerous articles and book chapters pertaining to educational law. He primarily focuses on the legal and policy issues pertaining to educational access and school choice.

Bruce Baker is Professor in the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. His research focuses on state school finance policies, the economics of education, and teacher and administrator labor markets.